Former Mayor Rybak Named Among Most Fit In U.S.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Despite having a heart attack earlier this year, former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has been named by at least one publication as one of the most fit leaders in the country.

According to the Health Fitness Revolution, Rybak was named among the 10 most fit mayors in the United States. The list includes both current mayors and some that have recently left office. Just days after ending his term as the leader of Minneapolis, Rybak had a heart attack while cross country skiing in Theodore Wirth Park. He’s since made a full recovery and even participated in the Loppet a month after.

The American College of Sports Medicine cited the Twin Cities as the fittest in America in 2013 for the third year in a row. Rybak was voted as the “Fittest Mayor in America” back in 2006 as he has an exercise routine that includes running, biking, swimming and weightlifting several times per week.

Health Fitness Revolution also cited that Minneapolis has more playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, baseball diamonds and dog parks, per capita, than other cities in the U.S.

Others to make the top 10 list include Mike Bloomberg of New York City, Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey; Karl Dean of Nashville, Tenn.; Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Calif.; Mike Caldwell of Ogden Utah; Nancy Chaney of Moscow, Idaho; Adrien Fenty of Washington D.C.; Rahm Emanual of Chicago, Ill. and Ralph Becker Of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rybak had a little fun with the honor Tuesday morning on social media, posting on Twitter that he was so excited he almost had another heart attack when he got word of the list.